Coming to Myself

Since Yin Feng had no memory of the past, he naturally didn't overthink things as much as You Mingxu did. His first thought was: She actually had an ex-boyfriend. His second thought was a vague understanding of where his hostility came from just from looking at a photo. Yin Feng was quick-witted and had always been thoroughly aware of his own physiological and psychological state. Since they were both ex-boyfriends, it made sense that they wouldn’t get along.

Then, You Mingxu heard him ask indifferently, "What? Did this major suspect play you?"

You Mingxu’s brow twitched slightly.

Listen to the writer’s choice of words—"major suspect," "play." He sure knew how to hit the nail on the head and insult someone without being obvious.

You Mingxu was no pushover either. She replied calmly, "I dumped him." Patting her colleague beside her, she ignored Yin Feng, and the two of them walked away side by side.

Yin Feng watched their retreating figures, a faint smile curling at the corner of his mouth. He raised his voice and said, "Bring the suspect back immediately. Have Xiang Rong identify him."

You Mingxu didn’t turn around, merely waving her hand to show she understood. Yin Feng turned and headed downstairs in the opposite direction. After a few steps, driven by some inexplicable impulse, he glanced back at her retreating figure, watching until she disappeared from sight before leisurely descending the stairs.

He thought to himself: When she wasn’t arguing with him, this woman had a lively and endearing side.

——

Luo Yu sat behind the boss’s chair in a luxurious office, watching as his subordinate held a phone and played a video for him.

The video showed a warehouse where a middle-aged man was knocked to the ground. Several thugs continued to punch and kick him, leaving the man bruised and swollen until he could no longer endure it and knelt, begging for mercy.

One of the thugs grabbed his head, forcing his face toward the screen, and asked, "Still testifying?"

The middle-aged man cried, "No, no! I won’t!"

"How much money did you take? Spit it out."

"I didn’t take any..."

Bang, bang, bang—several more punches landed.

The man wailed, "I did, I did! Thirty thousand, I took thirty thousand!"

"Our boss wants you to confess in court that you took money to give false testimony and turn on them. Understand?"

"This... I understand! I understand! Please, stop hitting me! Don’t touch my daughter, I beg you! I’ll talk, I’ll say everything!"

...

The video ended, and the subordinate watched Luo Yu’s expression. In recent years, Luo Yu had even relaxed his dress code, no longer strictly adhering to the lawyer’s attire. He wore a black shirt under his black suit, the collar unbuttoned, revealing a sturdy neckline. He narrowed his eyes, lit a cigarette, took a couple of puffs, and said, "Alright. Keep an eye on him until he appears in court. Once it’s done, withdraw the people watching his wife and daughter."

"Yes."

"Is President Xing back from Shanghai? Has he sent anyone to look for me?" Luo Yu asked again.

"Not yet."

Luo Yu pondered for a moment and said, "Got it." Then, with a faint smile, he added, "You handled this well. President Xing will definitely be pleased."

The subordinate flattered, "Of course, Kaiyang Group can’t do without you. You’re President Xing’s right-hand man."

Luo Yu laughed and scolded, "That flattery really hits the spot."The "Xing" they were referring to was Xing Jifu, chairman of the prominent Central China enterprise Kaiyang Group. Over fifty years old, Xing Jifu had largely handed over the company's legitimate operations to his heir, Xing Yanjun, while maintaining an extremely low profile himself. Luo Yu had started as an external lawyer and over the years had resolved countless tricky matters for Kaiyang Group. Gradually, insiders came to understand that the infamous Luo Yu was essentially Kaiyang Group's legal representative.

After handling this matter, Luo Yu dismissed his subordinates. The team he commanded for such tasks had actually been provided by Xing Yanjun, though Luo Yu had personally selected, observed, and trained them. Thus, he became increasingly effective at employing underhanded tactics, and no one in the legal circle dared cross him. On the surface, however, Luo Yu remained impeccably respectful and professionally competent, leaving no grounds for investigation.

Luo Yu stepped out of his office for a smoke. Everyone in the law firm glanced at him before lowering their heads. He was one of the partners, but now the other two partners essentially deferred to him. Smiling faintly, Luo Yu took the elevator down, exited the office building, and stood by the flower bed downstairs to enjoy the breeze.

In the distance, he spotted a familiar police car pulling over by the roadside—he could even recite its license plate from memory. Squinting slightly, he watched as You Mingxu and Xu Mengshan approached.

Luo Yu acted as if Xu Mengshan were invisible, adopting an overly intimate tone: "What brings you here? I thought you'd run off to Chenxi with your little lover to investigate cases and forgotten all about me."

You Mingxu glanced at him, her mind stirring. Indeed, while she was investigating the exchanged murder case, Luo Yu had coincidentally—or perhaps not—been so well-informed that he sent people to intercept Yin Feng at the foot of the mountain where Liu Ruoyu had drowned, giving him a harsh lesson. Yet during her months in Chenxi, he hadn't bothered her or shown up to disgust her as he used to. Had he finally backed off, or was there more to it?

You Mingxu said, "There's a case related to you. We need you to come to the station to assist with the investigation."

Luo Yu stared at her, smiling. "What case?"

Xu Mengshan replied coldly, "No comment."

From start to finish, Luo Yu couldn't be bothered to look at anyone else. He walked up to You Mingxu and whispered, "Alright, are you going to interrogate me?"

You Mingxu answered, "I am."

Luo Yu made a phone call.

Soon, a lawyer-looking individual and a tough, fierce-looking man came down. Luo Yu brought both of them into the police car. He was a tricky figure, and You Mingxu didn't bother arguing with him—if he were truly connected to criminal organizations, bringing more helpers wouldn't save him.

At the station, You Mingxu left him waiting first. Through the one-way glass, she observed him and his lawyer sitting inside while his bodyguard waited downstairs.

Although Xiang Rong's identification pointed strongly to Luo Yu, and surveillance footage showed their paths overlapping multiple times, it ultimately relied on Xiang Rong's testimony. Before Xiang Rong arrived for identification, You Mingxu decided to have a chat with her old adversary.

Moreover, since Luo Yu always spoke to her in an extremely disgusting and cloying manner—regardless of time or place, probably thinking it would only tarnish her reputation as a police officer (him? A shady lawyer—would he care about some scandal?)—You Mingxu sent Xu Mengshan away. She still had her dignity and decided to interrogate Luo Yu alone first.As soon as she pushed the door open, she saw Yin Feng leaning against the corridor, his gaze inscrutable as he watched her.

You Mingxu: "What's wrong?"

He smiled, walked up to her, blocked her path, and said, "Let me talk to him first."

You Mingxu: "What do you want to talk to him about?"

Yin Feng replied succinctly with two words: "The past."

You Mingxu wasn't naive enough to think that the current Yin Feng could still feel jealous over her. After a moment's thought, she understood. He had been targeted by Luo Yu's people before. Back then, You Yingjun was a well-behaved soul—though furious, he hadn't sought revenge to avoid causing trouble for himself. Now, even though Yin Feng had lost his memories of that period, wouldn't Chen Feng, that bootlicker eagerly welcoming back his old master, have promptly reported every detail? Just yesterday, this man had told her that he always repaid grudges.

Although You Mingxu didn't care for the current Yin Feng, she still maintained fairness. She lifted her chin and said, "Go ahead. I'll go downstairs for a smoke."

Her compliance surprised Yin Feng slightly. He said, "Thanks."

You Mingxu turned and replied, "No need. We're even."

But after taking just a few steps, she heard him say, "We're not even. You owe me for this, suspect's ex-boyfriend."

You Mingxu: "..." She instantly grasped his meaning—the ex-boyfriend had come for her, and he had merely been collateral damage, repeatedly dunked underwater back then.

The moment she recalled the You Yingjun of those days, a trace of pity rose in You Mingxu's heart, so she decided not to argue with this scheming, sharp-tongued man.